Lou Klein

Louis Frank Klein (October 22, 1918 - June 20, 1976) was an infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cleveland Indians, and the Philadelphia Athletics, but he was best known as one of the players that jumped to the Mexican League and was subsequently banned by Commissioner Happy Chandler for a five year span (though the suspension was later reduced).

Klein was the everyday second baseman for the Cardinals in the 1943 season, playing every inning of the season, but then served the next two years in the military during World War II. After returning to the Cardinals late in the 1945 season, and battling for playing time on a talent-loaded team, he felt his future role would be limited, as a utility player backing up the younger Red Schoendienst. Only two months into the 1946 season, with the Cardinals in first place, he jumped to the Mexican League, along with teammates Max Lanier and Fred Martin.

Throughout the spring of 1946, the Pasquel brothers of the Mexican League had been making enticing offers to many Major Leaguers, and the trio of Cardinals were the latest group to accept. In an attempt to slow this exodus, all players who broke an existing contract to join the Mexican League, including Klein, were banned from the Major Leagues for a span of five years by Commissioner Chandler.

On June 5, 1949, Chandler lifted the bans on the Mexican League jumpers, and eleven days later, Klein returned to the Cardinals. After brief stints with the Indians and Athletics, he found a job as a coach with the Chicago Cubs.

In 1961, he was part of the infamous College of Coaches, managing the last 12 games of the 1961 season and finishing out a disappointing 64-90 season (of which he went 5-7). In 1962, he was named manager, replacing El Tappe and managed 30 games (with a 12-18 record). The Cubs finished a franchise-worst 59-103 (their first time ever with a 100-loss season), and only the 40-120 New York Mets were worse. In 1965, he was named manager again, this time by himself, after replacing Bob Kennedy. He went 48-58 in his third stint as manager, finishing with a lifetime 65-82 record.

Klein died in Metairie, Louisiana at age 57.

External links

*baseball-reference|id=k/kleinlo01